The temperature in the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office vehicle reached 85 degrees — the start of what could be a deadly problem for any dog inside. Then, the passenger window automatically rolled down and a fan began blowing in cooler air.

The dog-saving technology made possible by a donation from the Holland Kennel Club was part of a demonstration Monday night for club members at the Howard Miller Public Library in Zeeland.

“There were a lot of dog deaths in the last few years that caused some concern,” said Deputy Kim Thorington about why the preventative technology was installed on the canine transport. No Allegan County Sheriff’s Office dogs have died, though hot summers across the nation have claimed the lives of many pets left in closed-up cars.

“It works great,” said Thorington, handler of Lucky, about the cooling fan. Lucky is a Malinois and has been with the department several years. Allegan County has four canines in service.

Kennel club donations of $3,450 funded the purchase of the automatic heat sensors and fan installation as well as a GPS unit that can be attached to the dog.

Sgt. Brett Ensfield showed GPS coordinates on his phone from a Lucky’s recent tracking of a parole violator in Valley Township who cut his tether and ran from officers.